Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
A 42-year-old Kwekwe man has been sentenced to 32 years in jail for prowling on women in the mining town, raping and robbing some of them of their valuables.
Barami Vasco of 65/2 Mbizo in Kwekwe reportedly targeted school going girls and women.
Among his victims are a Grade 7 and Form Three pupil as well as two Kwekwe Polytechnic students and elderly women.
He was convicted by Gokwe Magistrate Mr Lungile Ncube after a full trial when he appeared before him facing eleven counts of rape and robbery.
Vasco was found guilty on six counts, three rape and three robbery and sentenced to 32 years in jail.
Eleven years were suspended on condition of good behavior.
According to the State, Vasco committed the crimes between February and September last year.
On count one involving a 13-year-old victim, on February 19 in 2021 at around 4PM, Vasco spotted women who were gathering firewood in a bushy area near Lancashire Steel company.
“The accused person removed his clothes and started crawling towards the women while naked so that he could not be spotted. One of the women however spotted him and raised an alarm and the women took to their heels towards Bessemer Road and the accused person pursued them,” the court heard. He tripped the teenage girl and she fell to the ground.
The accused person reportedly raped the victim while she screamed for help.
“Security guards who were passing through heard loud screams and came to the rescue of the victim.
Upon sight of the men, the accused ran away and the security guards gave chase but failed to catch up with him,” read State papers.
On another count, on 29 July 2021, at around 6PM, the accused spotted a woman whose age was not stated in State papers, walking alone along a footpath near Kwekwe Polytechnic.
He quickly grabbed the woman and removed her jacket which he used to cover her face with and dragged her into a nearby bush.
After raping her several times, he took her Samsung tablet and disappeared.
On another count, on 5 August 2021 at around 11AM, Vasco pounced on a woman who was walking alone towards Mbizo using a footpath and produced a machete before forcibly dragging her into the bush and raped her.
After the ordeal, he stole her cellphone and US$10. He also used the same modus oparandi to rape and rob a Kwekwe Polytechnic student and stole a cellphone and cash.
On count 10, on 29 September 2021 at around 12AM, Vasco took advantage of a Harare based woman who was asking for directions and offered to accompany her since he was going the same direction.
He took her along a footpath and while in the middle of a bush, he suddenly produced an okapi knife which he used to threaten her.
He raped and robbed her of US$300 and a tablet before vanishing.
Investigations by police however led to the recovery of the tablet from one Tinashe Katerere who indicated that he had bought it from the accused person. Vasco was subsequently arrested.
Mr Tinashe Wazvaremhaka represented the State.
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